Release
by BlondieC82
Summary: London Parker & Emerald Smith are best friends. Both woman are hiding secrets from one another. When someone from their past comes back, both woman's lives take a drastic turn & their secrets are threatened to be revealed. Will London & Emerald be able to overcome their pain to find happiness? (Roman Reigns/OC) (Shane McMahon/OC) Seth Rollins
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I only own London and Emerald.**

 **Miami, Florida… Friday Morning**

Her eyes shot open, as the thunder roared over her rooftop. London could hear the rain pouring down outside. She looked at the clock and it was 6:10am. "May as well get up now" she thought to herself, since she had to be up at 6:30 anyways for work. She yawned and stretched as she sat up right. She then made her way to the bathroom. She turned on the bathroom light and looked at herself in the mirror. She was not the same person she once was. She needed different ways to cope with what had happened in her life. Her blue grey eyes didn't have the same sparkle and life in them that they once held. Her beautiful smile that she once had was now non-existent. Her thoughts and memories of her tragic past consumed her. She tried to have a normal life. On the outside she had this façade; this mask that she wore for people, but no one knew what she was really feeling or doing behind closed doors to cope. No one knew of what happened to her in her life, and she wouldn't dare tell anyone. She didn't want to be judged or having people gossip about her or even blame her for what had occurred in her life, even though she blamed herself every day. London was her own worst enemy, but she didn't see it that way. She thought she deserved the way she treated herself.

London quickly gathered herself and turned on the water to the shower. As the water was heating up to the hot temperature she loved; she brushed her teeth, and then she put her golden blonde locks up in a messy bun, so her hair wouldn't get wet, and she washed her face. She stepped inside the shower, and washed her body, and stood under the hot sprays for what seemed like an eternity. Her past played in her mind like a movie, always on repeat from the beginning until now. She felt the tears build up in her eyes. She quickly turned off the water and stepped out of her shower and grabbed the towel hanging on the towel bar. She wrapped herself in the towel and cleared the mirror of the fog and once again looked at herself in the mirror. She hated what she saw every time she looked in the mirror. The girl she once was dead and gone and this new person she didn't recognize took over.

She went back into her bedroom which was small. It was a little bigger than a closet but not by much. London checked the time and it was only 7:00am. She had a bit of time before she had to be at work since she didn't have to be there until 8:30. She walked to her nightstand drawer and pulled out the item she knew she needed to help alleviate the pain she was feeling. Her handy little switchblade. This was like her best friend. It was a sad fact but it was the truth. She clicked on the switch to open the blade, and she immediately started cutting into her skin on her upper arm and she immediately felt this release from within. She tilted her head back, her eyes started to close as soon as the blood started to ooze out of her arm. London felt better already. The physical pain made her forget about her inner pain. It was like a high for her. Cutting always made her feel better. It was like the pain and turmoil she felt within was being released and she temporarily forgot her past, her memories, and her pain. She would hide her scars by wearing long sleeve shirts. Sometimes if she had no more room to cut on her arms, she would cut her stomach or her upper legs and thighs. Places where no one would see. After a few minutes of her self-cutting she cleaned her cuts off with water, and applied antibiotic cream and bandaged them.

She then proceeded to take her hair out of her messy bun and brush it out, and she left it straight and down, and she applied a bit of make-up. Nothing major, just some light foundation, peach lip gloss, mascara and some rose blush. She then decided to get dressed. She chose black slacks, a nice teal long sleeve buttoned up dress shirt that was tucked into her slacks. She left the first top two buttons undone. You could see a bit of cleavage but nothing unprofessional, and black three inch pumps with an open toe. After that she walked out of her bedroom and into the plain kitchen. She made a piece of toast. As soon as her toaster popped, she took the piece of toast in her hand, and looked at the time. She was now running late due to the time she took to cut herself.

She walked out of her apartment and locked the door, and made her way down the stairs to get outside to the parking lot. She made her way to her 2001 black Honda Civic. She turned on her car and the wiper blades. She was finishing her toast as she started to back out of the parking lot. She pulled out onto the streetway and made her way to work. After a twenty-minute drive in hectic Miami traffic she finally made it to work. As soon as she stepped foot inside of Sizzling Sports, which was a Sports Magazine where she worked, she was greeted by non-other than her best friend Emerald.

Emerald met London at a previous job. They both worked at this dive bar on the outskirts of Miami a few years ago. They both left that job when the owner Jacob MacLean got arrested and was convicted of drug trafficking. They both then landed a job at the Sports Magazine through a temp agency. London got hired on as an editorial assistant for the magazine, but she quickly made her way up to working closely with the Editor in Chief Shane McMahon, while Emerald worked as a writer for the magazine.

"How are you L?" That was Emerald's nickname for London.

"Good thank you Em. Sorry I didn't call you back last night. I ended up watching some mindless TV show, and then went to sleep. How are you?" replied London. They walked while they made small talk to London's office. Once they got inside London's office, Emerald closed the door and turned to face her best friend. Emerald's hazel eyes were full of concern for London. She knew something was wrong with her best friend, but every time she asked London, London always had an excuse, and told her that everything was fine. Emerald wanted to get to the bottom of what was going on with her best friend, and by damn she was going to do it one way or another. With London's cooperation or not. Emerald was determined to get to the bottom of what was bothering her best friend and do her best to help her through it, and help get her back to the person she once was. London was too beautiful of a person to be suffering in silence like she had been for so long.

"What is going on with you London?" Emerald asked her soft voice full of concern.

"I don't know what you mean." London replied her voice filled with agitation and sadness.

"Yes you do." Her best friend responded. Hazel eyes were staring into the blue grey eyes that were filled with so much hurt, pain, and suffering.

"There is nothing going on with me. Now if you don't mind I have an article to finish for Mr. McMahon. I will talk to you later." London said annoyed.

Emerald stood up and quickly made her way to the door. As she opened the door she looked over her shoulder at her best friend who was now focused on her computer. She quickly turned her head back and exited the office. She walked past Shane McMahon's office. He was standing by the door and smiled politely at Emerald. She smiled back, but before she could pass his office, Shane asked "Could you please come in here for a few moments."

Shane stepped aside allowing Emerald to walk into his spacious beautiful office. He closed the door behind her, and gestured to Emerald to have a seat in a chair in front of his desk. She sat as he walked behind his desk and took a seat in his chair.

"Do you know what is going on with London?" His voice full of concern. No one knew how Shane really felt about London, but Emerald had a suspicion that he was in love with her, but she could never ask her boss that question. That would be unprofessional. Little did she know that she was right. Shane had fallen in love with London over the course of their working relationship.

Shane was a good looking older man. He had a nice body, beautiful brown eyes and his hair was a nice shade of grey. He was a divorced father of three boys who he loved more than life itself. Declan, Rogan, and Kenyon were his life, his world. He never thought he would find love again after his divorce, but he suddenly one day found himself falling in love with London. He thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. Golden blonde hair that had layers in it, and went down to the middle of her back. Beautiful blue grey eyes. Sometimes they were blue, and other days they were grey and sometimes they were a nice mixture of both blue and grey. She had a nice hourglass figure, and curves in all the right places. She had a nice booty, and thick thighs. Her lips were a nice shade of pink and they were pouty. Shane had fantasized about what kissing that beauty would be like on more than one occasion. He was pulled from his thoughts of London as Emerald's soft voice spoke.

"I tried asking her just a few moments ago what was going on with her, but she said nothing was going on. I don't believe her though." Hazel eyes stared at brown eyes both full of sadness and concern for the woman in the next office. From that moment on both Shane and Emerald decided that they would both do whatever they could to try and help London out of whatever it was that was tearing her apart, and they would help her by any means necessary.

London was typing away while working on the computer when she heard a knock at her door. 'Come in." she spoke softly, but loud enough for the person on the other side of the door to hear her. Shane turned the door knob and proceeded to walk into London's office. "Mr. McMahon I am almost done with that article you asked me to do."

"London how many times do we have to discuss this? Please call me Shane, not Mr. McMahon. We have worked together for a while now. You can call me by my first name, plus Mr. McMahon makes me feel old." Shane stated with a smile on his face.

London smiled apologetically "I'm sorry. I will call you Shane from now on." London stated; voice soft as her blue grey eyes looked in his brown eyes.

"I am not here to discuss the article I asked you to do. I actually need to discuss a private matter with you." Shane looked at her, his eyes full of concern and love.

London had never seen that look before from anyone else, but she had seen that look in Shane's eyes on more than one occasion when he was speaking to her. She wasn't sure what it was, but it made her feel funny inside. It made her nervous, but gave her butterflies at the same time. She never felt this way before with a man. She didn't know why she was nervous, and happy to see Shane, but whenever he was around her or near her, she would always feel that way. She quickly pushed those feelings away. She couldn't get involved with her boss. That would end badly just as everything else in her life ended and then she would be out of a job. She loved this job and she wouldn't do anything to risk it. It paid her decently. She earned more from this job then she had at any of her dead end jobs, and she wasn't going to lose it. Plus, she liked what she did, and she made some friends there. Of course she would keep them at an arm's length, even Emerald. Yes, they were best friends, but London learned at a young age that when people got to close to her they would either leave her or back stab her. The only person she could rely on was herself. It was a sad fact but it was the truth.

Shane turned and closed the door. London couldn't help but stare at him while he had his back turned to her. He was in grey dress pants, which accentuated his nice firm backside, and a white long sleeve buttoned up dress shirt and his Nike runners. He always wore those, unless he had a business meeting, or clients to meet. If he had meetings then he would wear dress shoes, even though he hated them. His runners would match his outfit of the day. Today his runners were grey and white. London swore he had to have more than a hundred pairs of those Nike runners. Shane was like a woman obsessed with shoes when it came to those shoes. He hardly ever wore ties. He was still appropriately dressed for work, but he wasn't dressed in a suit and tie unless he had to be. London bit her lip as she checked out Shane's backside. He had such an incredible body for an older man, and his ass was perfect. It was firm, and round. London could never figure out why his ex-wife wanted to divorce him. Any woman would be lucky to have him. She quickly pushed that thought out of her mind as Shane made his way over to the chair in front of her desk. "What did you want to talk to me about Shane? Did I do something wrong. If I did I can fix it. I am so sorry." London stated her voice dripping with concern and fear.

"London it is nothing like that. You didn't make a mistake, and there is nothing for you to apologize for." Shane stated and a smile crept on his face. As soon as he smiled London smiled and felt more at ease.

"What do you need to discuss with me then?" London asked.

"London, please excuse me for being blunt here, but I am going to get straight to the point. Emerald and I are concerned about you. If something is bothering you or going on with you, you can talk to us. We want to help you. We both care about you."

" _That was a blatant lie." I am in love with you London."_ Shane thought to himself. If only he could gather the courage to tell her how he really felt.

"Listen, I know I am your boss, but I also like to think we are friends as well, and friends are there for each other during good times and difficult times. Please tell me what is going on. Maybe I can help." Shane said, brown eyes were searching for a reaction from the blonde hair blue eyed beauty.

London quickly looked away from Shane's gaze. She didn't know how to respond. She never had someone care enough about her before to ask what was happening. Everyone she had met before just treated her like garbage and used her for their own selfish reasons. They never cared enough to ask her what was wrong, let alone wanting to help her. London was quickly pulled from her thoughts when Shane cleared his throat. She looked up at him blue grey eyes meeting brown eyes.

Apart of her wanted to break down and tell him everything that was happening. To have him hold her and tell her that it will all be alright. She desperately needed and wanted that comfort in her life from someone. She genuinely wanted someone to make her feel loved, and to take away the feeling of being completely and utterly alone, because that is what she was, alone. She quickly pulled herself together.

"Nothing is going on with me Shane. I appreciate yours and Emerald's concern, but everything is fine. I promise." London said.

Shane didn't believe her, but he decided to drop the subject for the time being. He didn't want to cause a scene or make London uncomfortable, especially at work. "Okay, but if you decide you want to talk to someone my door is always open." Shane said, as he got up from the chair and made his way to the door. With that he left and made his way to his office, while London thought about their conversation and his offer for her to confide in him. "If only I could" she thought to herself.

 **A/N: Thank you to everyone who took the time to read this. This is my first story that I have written. I hope you all enjoyed it & please feel free to leave a review. **


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Special shout out goes out to Chaka1967, Randie Reigns and WickedRedRose22 for the reviews on my previous chapter. Thank you for the love and encouragement of my first story. It means the world to _me. Xoxoxo_

 **WARNING: Verbal Abuse and bulimia are mentioned in this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I only own London and Emerald**

Chapter 2

 _ **Sizzling Sports Magazine**_

Emerald was in her office. Her hazel eyes were trying to focus on the article she was supposed to write, but her mind wouldn't let her concentrate on the task at hand. Instead her mind was thinking back to a time when both London and she were happy and carefree. That seemed like so long ago, but in reality it was two years ago. Then her mind wandered to the 6'3 265lb Samoan god who was their best friend. He was built solid, worked out every day. He had hair that every woman desired, long and black. He usually wore it in a man bun, but there were times that Emerald seen it down. That thought alone made her cheeks turn a crimson red colour. She imagined what it would be like to run her fingers through his luscious locks, what it would feel like to have his arms wrapped around her, kissing her pink pouty lips. She was immediately pulled from her thoughts when her phone started to ring signalling she had a call. She looked down at the caller ID and an image of her and her boyfriend popped up.

'Hey babe, how is your day?' Emerald asked, as she was trying to calm herself down from the thoughts she had of someone other than her boyfriend.

"Good. The reason I am calling is I have a work dinner tonight and I need you to be there with me. Make sure you look good and I will pick you up at 6:30 sharp. Don't be late, or you know what the consequences will be." He said matter of fact. He hung up after that. No good-bye or I love you. That was becoming a common occurrence lately with him.

Emerald looked down at her screen saver on her phone after the call with her boyfriend ended. She stared at the picture and the picture staring back at her was from a different life. She wondered what happened between them. She did everything he asked and it was never enough for him. Maybe he could tell that she was not in love with him or that she had thoughts about her former best friend who abandoned her, but her heart still ached for him no matter what she did. No matter what she did she could not get him off her mind or out of her heart. She moved on with another man hoping that would ease the pain, but it instead made things worse for her because deep in her heart she knew she didn't belong with him. She belonged with her former best friend, but he had left her behind. No good-bye, no nothing. It seems like that was a common occurrence in her life with men. She was stuck and she wasn't sure what to do, and on top of that she had to try and figure out what was wrong with her best friend and how to help her.

Emerald decided to pack up and head home. _"Maybe I can concentrate better at home."_ She thought to herself. Just as she was about to leave she remembered that she forgot to say good-bye to London. She quickly turned around and made her way down to the hallway to her best friend's office. She knocked on the closed door.

"Come in." London stated.

As soon as she heard those words Emerald turned the door knob and as the door was opened, Emerald made her way inside of her best friend's office. London looked up from her computer screen just in time to see that it was Emerald walking into her office. London rolled her eyes at her best friend.

'I don't have time for this right now. How many times do I have to tell you that there is nothing wrong with me? I am fine, so if you don't mind I need to finish this article for Shane." London said angrily.

"I don't want to fight London. I am concerned about you, but I will drop the subject for now. I just came here to tell you that I am going home for the day and I wanted to say good-bye before I left. Clearly that was a mistake. See you later London and have a good weekend." Emerald said her voice filled with sadness mixed with anger.

London looked up to see the hurt and sadness in her best friend's eyes and she immediately felt horrible for the way she spoke to her best friend. She knew that Emerald was concerned about her and she had every right to be concerned, but she wouldn't admit that to anyone especially Emerald. She had to keep it together because if she didn't then everyone would know her deep dark secrets and she couldn't risk that coming out.

Just as Emerald was concerned with London, London was concerned for Emerald. She wasn't eating nearly as much as she should be, and she would spend hours at the gym, and if she wasn't at the gym she would go for long runs. London had been at the gym with her and had gone running with her before on more than once occasion. She knew that these habits weren't normal and they seemed to spring up when she started dating her current boyfriend. London had met him a handful of times, and she never liked him. She got a very bad feeling from him. She knew something was up with her best friend and just as Emerald made a promise to herself to help London, London made a silent promise to herself to help Emerald battle whatever it was that was bothering her.

'Emerald, I am so sorry, I shouldn't have spoken to you that way. I am stressed about finishing this article in time and you and Shane coming at me this morning threw me for a loop. I know you care about me, but I promise I am ok." London lied. "Forgive me?" she asked.

Hazel eyes met blue grey eyes and a small smile crept up on Emerald's face. "Of course I forgive you. You know I can't stay mad at you." Emerald said as her smile grew wider.

"Why are you leaving so early anyways?" London questioned.

"I can't concentrate on the article I am working on here, so I thought maybe some peace and quiet at home would help me, and Seth called and he has a work dinner tonight and I have to be ready by 6:30. We know me. If I stay here and get into the groove of writing this article, I will lose track of time and end up being late. If I am at home at least I can write a bit longer before I have to get ready for the dinner." Emerald said. There was also another reason why Emerald was in a hurry to get home, but she would keep that to herself.

"Good luck on your article, and have fun tonight. Call me tomorrow and let me know how the dinner was. I will want details." London said smiling at her best friend.

"I will give you a call in the morning. Have a good day and I will talk to you in the morning." Emerald replied. They hugged and after that Emerald turned around and made her way out of London's office.

Emerald made her way out of the building to her vehicle. The rain had stopped and it appeared that the sun was trying to break through the grey sky above. She started the engine, and began to make her way home. On her way to her condo she stopped at a fast food restaurant and ordered a cheese burger with fries and an iced tea to drink. She was starving. She hadn't eaten in almost 24 hours. She needed to eat now because she didn't want to eat too much tonight at the dinner. She didn't want to embarrass her boyfriend in front of his work colleagues and his bosses. As soon as she got to her condo, she killed the engine, and she grabbed her purse, laptop bag and food and made her way to her condo. She unlocked the door and quickly closed it behind her.

She made her way to her bedroom to change out of her work clothes and got into a pair of grey sweat pants and a black tank top. As soon as she was changed she made her way to the kitchen and she put her burger and fries on a plate and heated them in the microwave for a few seconds. The microwave beeped signalling that her food was heated up. She took it out of the microwave and she immediately started eating her burger. She stopped a few times to take sips of her iced tea or to munch on some fries, but she scarfed down her burger in no time. She then decided to finish the fries and once those were gone, her guilty conscious began to kick in. She made her way to the bathroom and immediately she dove to the toilet. She was on her knees and she started putting her index and middle finger down her throat so that she could vomit the contents of her lunch. As soon as she was done vomiting up her lunch, she flushed the toilet and she washed her hands and brushed her teeth. " _Much better_ " she said to herself. After she was done in the bathroom she took her laptop out and began to working away on her article.

Before Emerald realized it, it was 4:05 and she had to start to get ready for the dinner with Seth. She saved her article before she closed her laptop for the evening. She surprised herself by getting the majority of it done. She made her way to her bathroom. It wasn't a big bathroom by any means. It was your typical bathroom. The walls were white, it had a toilet, a shower, a sink, and a mirror. She turned on the light and took her out her sleek ponytail. She started the shower, and she hopped in. Unlike London, Emerald preferred her showers a bit colder than her best friend. It didn't take long for the shower to become the temperature Emerald loved. She washed her luscious long brown hair, and she washed her body, once she was done in the shower, she turned the water off, and grabbed the towel that was hanging on the towel bar. She wrapped herself in the towel and stepped out of the shower. She made her way to the sink and she turned on the tap and began to wash her face. Once she was done wit that the fog on the mirror had slowly started to fade away. She brushed her wet hair and grabbed her blow-dryer from under the sink. She plugged it in and turned it on to high. After 15 minutes her hair was completely dry. She unplugged the blow dryer and decided that she would put her hair up in a sock bun.

Once her hair was completed she made her way to her bedroom. She opened her closet and began looking for an outfit to wear to the dinner. Nothing was peaking her interest, until she came across a beautiful navy blue cocktail length dress that was near the back of the closet. It was strapless and went to her knees. The dress also came with a matching navy blue shawl for the shoulders. She put on a black strapless bra and black boy cut panties. It was a matching set. She then proceeded to put on the dress. Thankfully the zipper was on the side so she didn't need help zipping it up. The dress fit her perfectly.

Once she was dressed she made her way back into the bathroom so she could apply her makeup. She put on a minimal foundation, mascara, rose blush, black eye liner on her lower lid and a nude lip gloss. Once her make-up was completed, she took a glance at herself in the mirror to make sure she looked good enough for the dinner and Seth. " _I think I look pretty good. Hopefully Seth will approve."_ Emerald thought to herself.

She went back to the bedroom and took out a navy clutch that also came with the dress. She put her ID, house keys, lip gloss and cell phone in the clutch. She then proceeded to put on her navy blue 4 inch heels. Once she was completely ready she turned off her bedroom light and made her way down to the kitchen area. It was 6:10 according to the clock on the stove. Seth would arrive in 20 minutes. Emerald was feeling nervous so she quickly poured a small glass of red wine and drank it in no time. That seemed to help calm her nerves. She put the wine back in the wine rack and she put the glass in the dishwasher. She grabbed a mint from a bowl on the counter top and popped it in her mouth. Not even 10 minutes later there was a loud knock on her door. Emerald grabbed her clutch and made her way to the door. She opened the door and what she saw took her breath away.

She didn't love Seth, and Seth clearly didn't love her, but he was an attractive man. Emerald wasn't blind. She knew that he was a good looking man despite all of his flaws and she was lucky he put up with her. He could have any woman he wanted, but for some reason he was with Emerald. I guess they were a means to an end for each other, but Emerald couldn't figure out what Seth was gaining from being with her.

Emerald quickly tried to gather her thoughts together while Seth was standing there, his hair was half brown and half blonde. It was out up in a man's bun at the nape of his neck, he was wearing black dress pants that looked like a second skin, a black dress shirt that accentuated his buff arms and firm chest, and a black tie. His feet were covered in black dress shoes. Once Emerald gathered herself she greeted her boyfriend of more than a year.

"Hey babe, you look amazing." Emerald said with a smile on her face. She tried to hug Seth, but he pushed her away.

"I know I do. Couldn't you find something else to wear? I think you are too big to be wearing that dress. This is just great. I knew I shouldn't have asked you to come. You are just an embarrassment to me. I don't even know why I am with you. It's too late now. Let's go." Seth snapped at Emerald.

Emerald was used to this. She knew that Seth was too good for her or so she thought. She had to endure everything he dished out to her because she had to keep him. She wanted to be married one day and start a family and she thought that Seth would be the only one who could give her that, so she stayed and put up with his verbal assaults.

Seth turned his back to her and made his way to the limo that was waiting for them. Emerald quickly locked her front door and followed Seth down to the drive way where the limo was. He didn't wait for her. He got in and moved to the farthest seat away from Emerald. Emerald quickly climbed in the limo and the limo driver closed the door. Once the door was closed the limo driver made his way back to the driver's seat. He started the engine and then started to drive them to the venue.

The drive to the venue was filled with quietness and tension. Seth was concentrating fully on his phone. She had no clue what was preoccupying his time, but Emerald was thankful. Seth hadn't gone off on her again. He had a wicked mouth and Emerald knew that he could get meaner. The comments he made when he picked her up were harsh, but it was a lot less harsh then some of the previous times he had gone off on her.

 _ **The Beachfront Conference Centre**_

Once they arrived at the venue the limo driver killed the ignition and made his way to the back door. He opened it and gave his hand to Emerald so she could get out of the limo. Once she was out Seth followed her. Seth gave the driver a tip and told him to be there at 11:00 to pick them up. The driver nodded in agreement and made his way back to the driver's seat once he closed the door.

Emerald was about to make her way inside, when Seth grabbed her arm harshly to pull her back.

"You are not going to embarrass me anymore tonight then you already have by wearing that dress in front of my bosses and co-workers. You will only have 2 drinks and you will only eat the salad that they serve. Do you understand me?" Seth stated in a harsh tone.

"Yes Seth. I am sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you." Emerald replied back, her voice a whisper. She wanted to cry, to run away from his tight grip, but she knew that would only make things worse and she didn't want to piss him off even more than she already had.

Seth just glared at her, but he took her hand forcefully and their fingers intertwined. They had a show to put on so they had to act like they were in love with each other. What Emerald and Seth didn't realize was that someone had seen the whole thing and their blood was boiling.

 **A/N: Thank you for taking the time and reading this. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, & please feel free to leave a review. **

**Thank-you!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A/N: Special shout out goes out Chaka1976, Wrestlechic1, and explicitxo and the people who PM me for their reviews on my previous chapter. It mean a lot to me that you all took the time to read and review so thank you so so much! You all are amazing! Xoxoxo

Now let's get back into the story. No warnings this chapter.

Enjoy everyone!

 **DISCLAIMER: I only own London and Emerald**

 _ **The Beachfront Conference Centre**_

His blood was boiling. He was enraged at the scene that he had just witnessed. He wanted nothing more than to go into the venue and beat the shit out of Seth for treating her that way. She didn't deserve that. No women deserves to be treated that way, but especially not her. Emerald was the love of his life, but he was a coward and could never gather the courage to tell her how he really felt about her. His feelings for her confused him for a long time, and to be honest, they still do. He has never felt this way about a woman before. He was the guy who could get any woman he wanted and he had plenty of woman that he shared his bed with, but that was all. They meant nothing to him, but with Emerald it was different. They never slept together, but she captured his heart and could make him do anything she wanted and he would happily do it if it made her happy. That is why he left without saying good-bye to her. He couldn't say good-bye to her. It would have been too hard. He wouldn't have been able to leave her if he saw her before he left. She consumed his thoughts and his heart, even after being away for two years. She was all that he wanted. Now she had moved on with a jackass who didn't deserve her. From that point on Roman knew he would do whatever it took to make Emerald see she deserves someone better and he was hoping that she would realize that he was the man she should be with. He didn't deserve her or her forgiveness, but he was hoping that she would come around. First he had to apologize to her for abandoning her and slowly gain back her trust. He would come up with a plan to make her his, but first he had to get through this dinner without beating the shit out of Seth and not making a fool out of himself in front of Emerald.

"There you are." London walked up to Roman. She was smiling from ear to ear. She couldn't believe that he had called her earlier that afternoon to tell her he was back in town for good and he wanted her to accompany him to this dinner he had to go to. She was so excited that she couldn't say No, and she realized that Emerald would be here as well, but she failed to mention that to Roman. She gave him a huge hug.

"Hey baby girl, you look amazing. It is so good to see you." Roman replied in her ear, as he was hugging his best friend. He had missed her so much. He missed both of his beauties if he was being honest.

London, Emerald and Roman were like the three musketeers. They were always together, or talking to one another. London and Roman grew up in the same neighbourhood in Tampa, Florida when they were kids. London was like a tomboy. She loved sports and loved to play video games and as soon as they met, they instantly clicked and became instant best friends. People always thought that there was something going on between the two of them, but there never was. Roman looked at London like his little sister, and London looked at Roman like her older brother. Sure, Roman was a very handsome man, and London was a beautiful woman, but there was never any feelings between the two of them except for friendship.

Roman met Emerald when he went to visit London at the dive bar they both worked at a few years ago. Once he laid eyes on Emerald that night, his heart started beating faster, and he thought she was the most gorgeous woman he had ever laid eyes on. London introduced them later that evening, and both Emerald and Roman felt this instant connection. They chatted and seemed to be comfortable with one another, and the three of them ended up becoming best friends. Roman swore that he would do anything to protect those two women, and it looked like Emerald needed that right now and he would do everything in his power to protect her from Seth, and anything else.

"I missed you so much. So did Emerald." London replied to him, tears in her eyes. She was holding onto Roman for dear life, like he was going to evaporate in thin air if she let go.

"I missed you both too. So much. You have no idea. It pained me to be away from the both of you for so long." Roman replied as he was wiping the tears away from London's cheeks with his thumb. He hated to see her cry. London didn't cry very often, but when she did, it killed him inside. He hated to see any woman cry, especially his best friend. "Please stop crying L. I am back for good."

"I know. I am so glad you are back. You have no idea, but I will tell you, you won't have an easy time making this up to Emerald. You left without saying anything to her. You never called her or text her. She was devastated when you left, and it hurt her even more when you didn't even try to reach out to her after. She thinks that you don't care about her, and that you never did" London said. Her eyes met his. She had stopped crying, but her eyes were red from the tears. "Why did you leave her like that? I thought you cared about her. I thought we were the three musketeers."

Roman looked into his best friends eyes. He knew he would have to come clean about his reason for abandoning Emerald without saying a word to her, but he didn't want to do that with London on his first day back. He needed to talk to Emerald and sort this out with her, and as fate would have it he might be able to put this plan of his into action sooner than he expected. "I couldn't say good-bye to her. I know it was wrong of me to leave town without saying a word to her, but I couldn't. I can't explain why to you right now, but you will know soon. Can we please drop this topic and get inside. I don't want to be late for my first work function since I came back into town." Roman replied. He was starting to smile at London, but on the inside his heart was shattering into a million pieces with the image of what he saw a few minutes ago. Maybe this would be the perfect opportunity to talk to London and get some information on Seth and Emerald.

Roman held out his arm to London, and she quickly took it. London smiled at Roman and he smiled back down at her. They made their way up the stairs and into the venue. It was busy full of people socializing and drinking. Everyone appeared to be having a good time. London stopped to fix a piece of her hair, which was in a sleek ponytail. She was wearing a black pant suit, and the blazed showed off a little bit of cleavage, and black 3 inch heels. She chose a pant suit because the blazer was long sleeved so it hid the cuts that she had inflicted on herself. The temperature was warm outside, but she had to wear longer sleeves because couldn't risk being caught and trying to answer questions about the cuts. No one could find out that secret and why she began to self-harm herself.

Roman went to go get them a cocktail. London of course was drinking a glass of red wine, and Roman was having a beer. Once they had their drinks in hand, Roman and London made their way even further into the venue. Roman had his eyes peeled on Emerald and Seth, but he hadn't caught sight of them since the scene outside a few minutes prior. He and London made their way to the table they were going to be sitting at. Roman thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to talk to London about Emerald to see what she knew about her relationship with Seth, but something was nagging at him. He felt that something was off with London, but he didn't know what it could be. He promised himself that he would get to the bottom of whatever it was that bugging London as well.

"You must be dying of heat wearing that black blazer in this heat" Roman stated.

"No, I am actually cold. It must be the air conditioning in here." She snapped back at him. She was terrified. Roman could not find out what she was doing. No one could, but especially not Roman. She thought that once he found out he would judge her, mock her, even laugh at her, and worst of all he would blame her. She couldn't take that chance. She had to keep this secret no matter what. It would go to the grave with her.

"I am sorry London. I just thought you might be hot is all." Roman said in his deep voice, his eyes were filled with concern.

London was getting used to seeing people's eyes filled with concern when it came to her. Emerald, Shane and now Roman. As much as she wanted to break down and tell someone her secrets, she couldn't. All she wanted to do was leave this dinner, and go home and take the edge off by drinking more wine and cut herself. Unfortunately she couldn't do that. She would have to just drink wine at this dinner, and hopefully that would help take the edge off until she got home in a few hours. Once she got home she could release her pain and fears with the help of her switchblade. She just hoped that she could survive the next few hours. She was pulled from her thoughts when someone cleared their throat. She looked up to see that Shane was standing there.

London was surprised to see him there, but damn did he look good. He had black dress pants on, that fitted him perfectly. He had a white dress shirt on with a black blazer over top and once again he was wearing a pair of his customized Nike's. This pair was black, with a white check mark on them. London couldn't look away as much as she wanted to. "Shane. What are you doing here?" London asked. Her voice was full of surprise, but she was happy to see him, even though she wouldn't admit that to herself.

"My friend invited me. He thought it would be a good idea for me to be here since this dinner is sports related and we work at a Sports Magazine." Shane replied. He couldn't take his eyes off of London. The way her pant suit fitted to her body, the cleavage that was exposed. It was classy, and her eyes sparkled, her lips so perfect and pouty. He wondered what it would be like to have her legs wrapped around his waist, and with her in that tight fitting pant suit wasn't helping the image. Suddenly, he looked on the other side of London and there was a handsome man staring between himself and London.

Roman was eyeing London and Shane. He wasn't blind. He could see that there was something going on with those two, but neither of them was saying a word. Roman cleared his throat. "Hi, I am Roman." Roman's voice was deep and he was glaring at Shane.

"Hi Roman. I am Shane. London and I are friends and co-workers." Shane replied in his husky voice. He was staring at Roman, not backing down. No one was going to intimidate him, especially not in front of London. They shook hands, but it was not a nice handshake. Both men were gripping the other's hand.

"Well London, it was nice to see you. You look fantastic. I will see you on Monday morning. Roman, it was nice to meet you. You two enjoy yourselves tonight. Shane said before he started to walk away and made his way to the bar to grab a drink.

"Roman, what was that?" London asked her voice was dripping with anger. She was enraged and embarrassed that her best friend would treat her boss and a friend of hers like that.

"What was what? I see the way you two were looking at each other. Is there something more going on between the two of you? The last thing you need London is another asshole guy who is going to hurt you. This guy is your boss. You shouldn't get involved with him; and if you two have started something, you need to end it before you lose your job." Roman stated. He was pissed that London wold jeopardize her career by getting involved with her boss. She worked so hard to get to where she is today. The last thing she needed was another disastrous relationship.

"ROMAN... There is nothing going on between Shane and I. We are friends and co-workers. That is all. I know you are looking out for me, and I appreciate that, but Shane is a good guy. Just talk to him and give him a chance. Now, if you will excuse me I need to go to the bathroom." London said as she excused herself from the table.

London finally found the bathroom and she could hear crying in one of the stalls. The crying sounded familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on where she had heard that crying before. "Are you ok in there?" London asked.

Emerald was in the bathroom stall, crying. Seth decided that he would put her down again and then openly flirt with one of the bartenders. "I am fine." Emerald responded. She was trying to clean herself up and wipe the tears from her eyes with tissue. Emerald heard the door close and she assumed that the woman who asked her how she was left the bathroom. She made her way to the door and unlocked it and when she stepped out from the bathroom stall she came face to face with her best friend.

London looked at Emerald through the mirror. She seen how red her eyes were. She immediately turned around and went to her best friend and embraced her. "Emerald love, what is wrong?" London asked her with voice full of concern and worry. She knew something was going on with Emerald, but London had her plate full and now she felt like the worst best friend ever.

"It's nothing. I am just being stupid and overreacting." Emerald responded her voice was cracking.

London looked at Emerald in the eyes. She could see the hurt and pain in her best friend's eyes. She knew that the cause of her best friend's agony was her low life boyfriend Seth. He was a no good piece of shit who was hurting her best friend. All London wanted to do was to go out there, find Seth and beat his face in and hurt him the way he hurt Emerald, but she had no proof since Emerald wouldn't tell her what was going on.

"You are not being stupid. Don't ever let me hear you say that again. Now, let's get you cleaned up. You know you can talk to me Em." London said. Her voice was dripping with anger and concern all in one.

"I know I can, but everything is fine. I promise L. Thanks though. Wait, what are you doing here Emerald questioned her best friend.

Emerald wiped the tears off her face, and re applied some concealer, eye liner and lip gloss while she waited for London's response.

"I have to tell you something Emerald and I don't think you will be too happy about it. I received a call from Roman this afternoon. He is back in town for good and he had to be here tonight so he asked me to come with him. Listen, he is so sorry for how he left you without saying good-bye. He wants to talk to you. Maybe you two can talk tonight." London said as she looked at Emerald trying to see if she could figure out what she was thinking.

Emerald couldn't respond. All she could do was look at London like she had two heads. She couldn't have heard her correctly. There is no way he could be back for good. Emerald was pulled from her thoughts when her phone dinged signalling she had a text message. It was from Seth.

"Where are you? You get your ass back to the table now before it gets worse for you when we get home." Seth wrote.

Emerald looked at the message and immediately she turned on her heel and made her way out of the bathroom. London was hot on her trail.

"Emerald… Emerald… Emerald…" London was trying to keep up with her, but Emerald was a fast walker and London lost her in the sea of people. She made her way back to the table, but Roman wasn't there. She decided that she needed another glass of wine. This night was becoming a nightmare with so much drama happening all at the same time; and London was having a hard time keeping herself together. Between her best friends and Shane, her urge to cut was coming to an all-time high and she wasn't sure how much longer she could stay there before her urges took complete control.

While London was making her way to the bar she saw Shane there and he wasn't alone. Roman was with him. " _Oh No"_ London muttered to herself. She immediately made her way over to Shane and Roman.

"Gentleman… Is everything ok over here?" London asked. She was scared and nervous to know the answer.

"Everything is fine London. Shane and I were just getting acquainted like you suggested." Roman shot back, his eyes never leaving Shane.

Shane looked at her and he immediately felt relieved. He knew Roman's threat was not to be taken lightly, but he didn't care. He would do anything when it came to London. He would make Roman realize that he wouldn't hurt London if he ever got a chance to be with her. "Everything is fine London. Like Roman said we were just getting to know one another."

London didn't believe either of them, but right now Emerald's situation was more important. "Shane, I am sorry, but I need to speak to Roman alone briefly. We will see you later on."

Shane nodded and turned and left Roman and London to talk. Curiosity got to him, but he knew better then to eavesdrop on them.

"Roman… Emerald is here with her boyfriend. I told her that you were here and I also told her that maybe you two could talk and you could apologize to her for leaving without a word." London stated matter of fact.

"I know." Roman responded.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU KNOW?" London's voice was now raised.

"I saw her outside. Right before you showed up. She didn't see me, but I saw her with Seth and let me tell you, the way he was treating her was unacceptable." Roman responded his voice filled with agitation.

"I ran into her in the bathroom right before I came to talk to you. She was crying. She didn't say much, but I know Seth is the reason behind her tears. Now talking to you my suspicions about Seth have been confirmed. Then I told her that you were back and that you two should talk and work things out. Her phone went off and she ran out of the bathroom before she could respond to what I told her." London replied her voice was quieter than it had been.

"That jackass is going to get the beat down of his life for putting his hands on Emerald and making her cry." Roman stated his eyes and voice filled with anger.

"What do you mean he put his hands on her?" London questioned her blood was boiling. She wanted to hunt that douchebag down and strangle him with her bare hands.

"I saw them outside before you got here and he had this tight, hard grip on her arms and they looked to be in the middle of an argument." Roman replied, anger coming out of every pore of his body.

"We need to find her now and make her come to her senses, and while we are at it, beat the shit out of Seth." London said, her voice was starting to crack, thinking about the things Seth had put her best friend through. It broke her heart. She didn't deserve this treatment.

Roman and London quickly made their way back inside to where the dinner was being served, to see if they could spot Emerald and Seth, but no such luck. They quickly made their way outside to see if they were there. On their way outside Roman bumped into someone. He bent down to make sure the person he bumped into was alright.

"I am so sorry. Are you alright?" Roman asked. He was hoping that this person didn't cause a scene. He didn't have time for that right now.

Hazel eyes met grey eyes. Immediately she was filled with anger, love and all these emotions that conflicted one another.

SLAP. That was the only sound that could be heard.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?" Seth suddenly appeared. Anger steaming out of his entire body looking at the scene in front of him. His girlfriend slapping his co-worker, and worst enemy Roman Reigns.

 **A/N: Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please feel free to leave a review.**

 **Thank-you!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

A/N: Special shout out goes out to Wrestlechic1, SpiceGirl, and Jessica619 for the reviews on my previous chapter. Also shout out to the people who favorited and followed this story. It means so much to me that you all took the time to read, review and favourite and follow so thank you so much. You all are amazing! Xoxox

Special shout out goes out to Chaka1967. Thank you so much for letting me bounce ideas off you and for giving me ideas and helping me out, encouraging me and re reading the chapters before I post them. Also special shout out to explicitxo. Thank you for being there for me and encouraging me and offering to help me. I am sure I will take you up on that.

Now this chapter was a bit of a struggle for me and it went in a direction I didn't intend it to go, and I tried rewriting it a few times, but it always went in the same direction so I just went with it. I apologize for the delay and I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

 **WARNING: Smut (this is my first time writing smut. It isn't the greatest so I apologize)**

 **Disclaimer: I only own London & Emerald**

 _ **The Beachfront Conference Centre**_

Emerald's body tensed up and she immediately froze as soon as she heard her boyfriend yelling. She knew she was going to be in big trouble later on. She looked up and her hazel eyes were full of unshed tears. She could see that Roman had turned away from her, and he and Seth were face to face, both their bodies tensed and their fists clenched at their sides. She knew that this was going to get worse and she needed to defuse the situation as quickly as possible.

"WHICH ONE OF YOU IS GOING TO ANSWER THE QUESTION?" Seth yelled at Roman and Emerald.

Emerald didn't know how to answer the question. She couldn't tell Seth what was really going on. She was getting scared and Roman could sense her hesitation and her nervousness.

He deserved that slap. He would take any punishment that Emerald dished him because he knew deep down that he had hurt her and he would do anything to make it up to her. "DO NOT TALK TO HER THAT WAY! She doesn't deserve it, and you sure don't deserve her." Roman yelled back. His eyes were full of anger and rage. Emerald had never seen this side of Roman before. If she were being honest it was a turn on to see him this way, but he broke her heart and now she was trying to think of a way to calm the two of them down, before an even bigger scene was made.

"Seth, I am sorry. I shouldn't have slapped him, especially not here. I am so so sorry." Emerald stated, her voice was quiet, and almost cracking. Tears running down her face. She was trying not to sob, but she wasn't sure how much longer she could hold off on that. She thought that her sobs would break through at every word she had said. She didn't know how much more she could take. The guy who broke her heart was here, and he works with her boyfriend. She knew that tonight would not be the last she saw of Roman and she didn't know how she would keep it together.

Seth and Roman were just staring down at each other, Emerald was sure they were going to fight and she wasn't sure how to stop it. Suddenly Emerald was pulled away from the scene when her best friend came outside to find her date.

"What is happening here?" London asked. She looked at Emerald and her heart broke again for her. She knew that all of this was too much for Emerald. She wanted to help her, but she wasn't sure how and she had her own issues to deal with. The urge to cut was at an all-time high for London. She thought she was going to crawl out of her skin. She initially came outside to tell Roman that she had to leave. She needed to get home and release the pain. Seeing Shane, Roman and Emerald was a lot to deal with, especially now with Roman and Seth wanting to kill one another. She knew that she couldn't leave yet. Both of her best friends needed her now, and truth be told she needed them as well. She just hoped that Roman and Emerald could make up, but clearly from the scene in front of her that was not going to happen anytime soon.

"Stay away from MY girlfriend, Roman. I don't know why she slapped you, and to be honest I don't really care. Judging by the red hand print on your face she slapped you good, and you obviously deserved it. Stay away from her. This is my first and only warning to you." Seth stated cockily. He knew that Emerald would never leave him. She couldn't do better than him and he would do everything and anything in his power to make sure Emerald and Roman stayed apart.

"I will not leave her alone. She and I were friends long before you started to date her. You treat her like garbage Seth. I saw what you did to her earlier this evening when you two first got here. No man should ever treat a woman like that. You do not deserve her." Roman stated his anger was reaching an all-time high, and he was doing everything in his power to keep his composure and not pummel Seth to a pulp right here, right now.

London and Emerald had overheard the conversation and quickly turned their attention back to Seth and Roman, but what Emerald said next shocked both London and Roman.

"STOP Roman! You and I were friends until you upped and left without a good-bye and for two years I have heard NOTHING and now you suddenly show up and act like everything is all hunky dory between us. Well guess what it isn't. Seth is my boyfriend and I love him. Leave him alone. He is just trying to defend me and what you saw earlier was not what it looked like. Maybe don't be so quick to judge what you know nothing about." Emerald said. Those pact of lies tasted horrible in her mouth, but Seth was her boyfriend and she had to defend him. She knew that it would be bad later on, but she didn't want to make it worse for herself.

Roman looked down at Emerald and his heart broke even more. There was anger, pain, love, betrayal, and confusion in her eyes. He knew he was the main reason why she was feeling so many conflicting emotions. If only he could tell her why he had to leave and why he left without a good bye. He was sure she would forgive him, but unfortunately he couldn't tell her while she was with Seth. He needed to come up with a plan to get her alone so he could tell her everything, because if he didn't he would lose Emerald for good and he couldn't bear that.

London couldn't believe what she heard come out of her best friend's mouth. She was upset. "Emerald, that isn't fair. Roman was just trying to protect you. He was so upset by what he seen earlier, and I had to tell him to calm down and now you slap him and defend your piece of shit boyfriend. You need to get your priorities straight Em." London angrily stated at her best friend.

"L, you have no room to talk. You don't know shit about my life, and to be honest you don't care. You are so consumed by your own life that you have failed to be a best friend to me. I have tried to help you but you shut me down at every turn and you don't even ask me about how I am. Now that Roman is back you just defend him. You know what he did, and you didn't care then, and you don't care now." Emerald screamed at London.

Emerald made her way to Seth, who now had this huge smirk on his face. Truth be told he hated London as much as Roman, and now it looked like his girlfriend was done with the both of them or would be soon and that made him happy. Soon she would have no one but him; and that made him very confident and happy. He was re-thinking his plans for Emerald that night. He would have to punish her, but maybe not as harshly as he was thinking. He took her hand and their fingers intertwined as they made their way back inside to say good-bye to Seth's bosses.

London and Roman just stared at each other with a confused look on their faces. This wasn't the Emerald that they both loved. There was something different about her. London knew that what Emerald had said was true. She was so consumed by her own pain and anger that she wasn't there for Emerald when she needed her best friend the most. She felt awful.

"What did Emerald mean you are so consumed with your own life that you haven't been there for her? What is going on with you London? And don't say nothing because I knew from the moment I seen you tonight that something was wrong with you. Terribly wrong. So please tell me. Let me help you." Roman stated with concern and hurt in his eyes. He didn't realize that being away for two years would affect his beauties so much. They both seemed that they had secrets to hide and he wanted to know what each woman was hiding from him and each other. He vowed to himself that he would make up his absence to both woman and to figure out what was going on with each of them.

"Roman, I can't tell you. I am sorry, but I can't. I am sorry but I need to go." London said quietly. Unshed tears were threatening to come down her cheeks. With that she ran down the stairs and made her way to a cab that just happened to be there. As soon as she got into the cab he pulled away and London could see that Roman had went after her, but he was too late.

Roman made his way back inside. All he wanted to do was to get drunk, and forget that this night ever happened. He needed to come up with a plan to get Emerald to forgive him, and to figure out what was going on with London. If he wanted to get Emerald to forgive him then he had to be on his best behaviour and show her how much she means to him and prove to her that he has changed. As soon as he made his way inside, he immediately went to the bar and ordered a scotch. He needed something harder than beer now. He got his scotch and he decided after this drink that he was going to call it a night before anything more could happen. He made his way back to the table and he spotted Emerald and Seth. They were acting all lovey dovey and it pissed him off.

Suddenly, a gorgeous woman with dark brown hair with blonde highlights sat down next to him. Roman wasn't blind. He could appreciate another woman's beauty and this woman was beautiful, but she wasn't as beautiful as Emerald. At least not in Roman's eyes.

"How is a good looking man like yourself not here with anyone?" The mysterious woman asked.

"My friend had to leave unexpectedly and I am actually about to leave myself right away." Roman replied. Roman knew if he didn't leave right away he would either make a scene with Seth and Emerald or he would give into temptation with this mysterious beauty.

His eyes kept wandering back to Emerald. He thought she looked amazing. He wanted to tear off her dress and kiss and lick her body from head to toe. He wanted to hear her scream his name over and over again as he made her climax multiple times. He had fantasized often about what it would be like to make love to Emerald.

The mysterious woman followed Roman's gaze to the woman he was staring at. She knew that look in his eye. She knew that Roman was longing for that woman he was gazing at. She also noticed that she appeared to have a boyfriend so she thought she could take advantage of the situation. "Why don't we leave together? I can make you forget about her." The brunette said as she placed her hand on Roman's thigh.

"Okay, let's go. Your place or mine?" Roman asked. Roman knew he was making a mistake by leaving with this woman, but he didn't care. He needed something to take his mind off Emerald and his heartache and this something was this woman. He would concentrate on winning Emerald back the next day, but he needed one last night of meaningless sex with a beautiful woman.

"How about your place." The woman replied with a smirk on her face. She then grabbed Roman's arm and they walked out together. Unfortunately for Roman, Emerald had seen the whole thing.

Emerald and Seth had said their good-byes to everyone and were making their way out when one of Seth's colleagues stopped them before they left. Emerald turned away from them and she spotted Roman with this woman. It broke her heart. _"Clearly he hasn't changed."_ Emerald thought to herself.

Seth turned and looked at Roman and this mysterious woman and he immediately smiled from ear to ear. His plan was falling into place. As much as he was angry earlier, his anger was fading away once he seen that his plan was falling into place. He knew he had Emerald right where he wanted her. He knew Roman could be tempted with a beautiful woman. All Seth had to do was put a woman in his face, and Roman would do the rest. Now Emerald was devastated, but she would stay with him now. He would stop at nothing to keep Emerald under his thumb. No he didn't love her, but he knew where she would end up or rather who she would end up with if she left him and there was no way he was going to let Roman get his claws into her.

"I think I have said good-bye to everyone. Are you ready to leave?" Seth asked Emerald politely.

Emerald immediately turned her attention back to Seth. Sadness in her eyes, but she put on a smile. "Yes I am ready to leave." She replied.

Emerald immediately took Seth's arm that he extended to her. They made their way out to the limo who just appeared a few moments ago. There was no sign of Roman or the woman which upset Emerald even more. Her mind was going into overdrive thinking about them having sex. It really shattered her heart into a million pieces. The driver opened the door and Emerald made her way inside, and Seth followed right behind her. Once Emerald was seated in the limo, Seth came up and sat directly beside her and took her hand in his. It shocked Emerald.

"Driver, we will be going back to my place, so we only have one stop instead of two." Seth told the limo driver. Seth immediately put up the practitioner and then he leaned down and kissed Emerald.

Emerald was shocked that Seth kissed her like that. It had been so long since he has touched her in a caring way. She immediately kissed him back and wrapped her hands around his neck deepening the kiss. She couldn't believe that she was doing this, but in all honesty she needed this distraction.

Seth immediately placed Emerald on his lap. His hands were running up and down her back. Emerald took his hair out of his bun and she was running her fingers through it. Their tongues were fighting for dominance, and the kiss was growing more passionate with each passing second. Before they knew it they were at Seth's place.

Emerald and Seth stopped making out when they realized that they were back at his place. Emerald got off Seth's lap and she went to grab her purse and shawl. The driver opened the door and Emerald took his hand and stepped outside. Seth followed suit right behind her after he adjusted himself from the growing bulge in his pants. He tipped the driver before he and Emerald made their way to his front door. He unlocked the door and they stepped inside. As soon as he closed the door he pushed Emerald up against the nearest wall and attached his lips to her neck. He heard her moan softly. He proceeded to unzip her dress and clothes were being shed from the front door to the couch in the living room. Seth wasn't sure what came over him, but he had to have Emerald right then and now. He had to claim her in every way as his. He had to prove a point to Roman. That is all this was to him. Yes, he was a man who had needs, but he got his needs fulfilled by other woman, but now that Roman was back he had to be careful because he didn't want Roman to get his claws into Emerald.

Seth was now in his briefs and Emerald was in her black boy cut panties and strapless black bra. As much as Seth tried to tell himself and Emerald that he didn't find her attractive by calling her horrible names he couldn't lie to himself, Emerald was a beautiful woman. He was so cruel to her because he needed control and needed to be centre of attention. He seen the way men looked at Emerald. They envied him for having such a gorgeous girlfriend. Unfortunately, Emerald was a means to an end for Seth. He just wanted her because he knew that Roman had been in love with her so he had to have her to throw it in Roman's face. That wasn't enough for Seth though. He came up with a plan to have Roman transferred to another city so he and Emerald would no longer see each other. That plan worked out perfectly because they stopped speaking for 2 years, but now Roman was back and he knew that Emerald would eventually forgive him, and leave him for Roman. He came up with another plan that appeared to be working to his advantage for the time being, but he knew that he had to make a BIG move to keep Emerald his forever.

"Seth, are you alright?" Emerald asked. It had been a few moments since there heated make out session and tearing each other's clothes off.

"Get in the bedroom now and lay on the bed under the covers now. Take off your panties and bra." Seth demanded.

Emerald did what he asked. She was now laying under the covers in Seth's bed naked. She heard the door creak open and then close. She looked up towards the door and saw Seth making his way over to her on the bed. As soon as Seth got on the bed he grabbed a condom from his nightstand drawer and handed it Emerald. She looked at him and then down to the package in her hand.

"What are you waiting for? Take off my boxers and put this on my dick." Seth demanded.

Emerald slowly made her way on her knees to take off Seth's boxers and his cock sprung free. He was hard. His dick was average sized. Emerald had often fantasized about how big Roman's cock was. She was sure he knew how to use it to. She slowly unrolled the condom on Seth's package. As soon as it was on he pushed her down on her back and he immediately entered Emerald's folds. It hurt a bit because she wasn't as turned on as earlier. Seth kept speeding up his pace, his eyes were closed. Emerald could hear him grunting and moaning. She knew he was close, but she was nowhere near close to having her release. She had her hands in his hair and she was moaning like she was enjoying this but she couldn't wait until Seth was done. He kept up his speed drilling in and out of Emerald's tight pussy until he finally said 'I'M COMING!"

As soon as he came into the condom he immediately rolled off of Emerald and laid there for a few moments to catch his breath. He knew that she didn't cum and he didn't care. She was lucky he slept with her in the first place.

"I will call you a cab to take you home." Seth stated matter of factly as he looked up to the ceiling above him. He immediately grabbed the phone placed on the nightstand. "Cab should be here in 15. You better get dressed. Make sure you don't forget anything."

Emerald was speechless but she knew she got off lucky. Tonight could have been a whole lot worse for her. She immediately got out of the bed and put on her panties and bra. She walked out of the bedroom and put on her dress and on the way grabbed her shawl, purse and heels. She left as soon as she was dressed and gathered her belongings. Seth heard the front door shut. He got up, put on his boxers and locked the front door. The cab showed up a few minutes later and Emerald got in, but instead of going straight home, she decided to make a detour first.

 **A/N: Thank you for taking the time to read this chapter. I hope you enjoyed reading it. Please feel free to leave a review.**

 **Thank-you!**


End file.
